Submit to Ireland

After visiting Ireland and meeting “real Irishmen” it was evident that the Irish people hold their history dear to them. As a group, we went on many tours and we were met with the same charismatic, knowledgeable, and proud Irish person everywhere we went.

I think the Irish identity is something that has only gotten stronger with time. The Irish are proud and resilient. Throughout history, the Irish have fought countless battles to secure the rights of their people, and although they were often unsuccessful, the Irish never gave up, they never wavered, and they always came back stronger than before.

While in Dublin, the mark left by the leaders of Easter Rising was shown almost everywhere. When we met at the Spire, we stopped at the General Post Office which was the site the rebels declared Ireland an independent republic. We were able to see the bullet holes on the pillars, and also the proclamation.

Mural of Bloody Sunday

Another event in history that left its mark was Bloody Sunday. In Northern Ireland, "The Troubles" were a turning point in their history and are remembered across the city of Derry. As we were walking through the Bogside, we were able to see the various murals on the sides of buildings depicting scenes from Bloody Sunday. There were also various flags, plaques, and memorials to commemorate the lives lost and battles fought.

 In Derry, I could still feel a divide between the people. There was an awkwardness to the community as if everyone was walking on eggshells, but at the same time displaying their views aggressively enough to warrant a similar behavior on the other side.

A reoccurring theme in our class readings is that the Irish people are extremely hospitable, and I definitely saw that in both Dublin and Derry. Even our servers at restaurants were extremely kind even though they didn’t have to fake it just to get tips, and the people at the stores we shopped in were welcoming and helpful.

I was expecting people to not be so fond of Americans, but the whole time I was there, I never encountered someone that treated me poorly. Robert Bell speaks of the Irish hospitality in Document B when he says, “Such a visit, so far from being deemed an intrusion, gave pleasure to every individual of the family, who were not only impelled by their natural feelings, but conceived themselves bound by a kind of sacred duty, to perform those acts of hospitality.”

Another personal example of mine is when we hiked to the top of Killiney Hill and I managed to come into contact with stinging nettle. I was honestly freaking out and so scared I was about to have a major reaction to it, but then a local man offered his help.

He stopped what he was doing and began to search through the brush for another type of plant to help the pain. Instead of just pointing it out, he got me the plant and helped me try to stop the burning. That just shows how kinds and selfless the Irish are and how willing they are to lend a hand.

The thing that stuck me the most was the history. Our country is relatively young, so to be able to see buildings, churches, schools, and castles that date back 1000 years, it was amazing. We cant get that here.
When a few of u went into the church Christ cathedral, my jaw dropped as I stepped in. I’m not a very religious person, but the sheer beauty of the building and its contents was almost bringing me to tears. I’ve honesty never seen anything like it.

Overall, I'm obsessed with my experience on this trip and I have so much respect and love for Ireland and its people. If I had a word of advice for future students going on this trip it would be: Submit to Ireland, experience all it has to offer even if it scares you. This trip has given me a gift that I will forever cherish. I was confined to my American bubble, but now I feel more aware of the world we live in, not to mention I've made such wonderful friends.

 Now that I’ve been to another country, I’m addicted, all I want to do is travel more, experience more, and see more. where shall we go next?

Ireland Study Abroad Experience

One of the first Irish readings we read before leaving to Ireland was an excerpt from “The Poor Scholar,” Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry, which is based on (or at least influenced by) William Carleton’s personal experiences in Ireland.

Picture from "The Poor Scholar"

 A powerful statement helping define the Irish identity is when the famous Irish author Carleton wrote, “An Irishman will make you laugh at his joke, while the object of that joke is wrapped up from you in the profoundest mystery, and you will consequently make the concession to a certain point of his character, which has been really obtained by a faculty you had no penetration to discover, or, rather, which he had too much sagacity to exhibit. Of course, as soon as your back is turned, the broad grim is on him, and one of his cheeks is stuck out two inches beyond the other, because his tongue is in it-at your stupidity, simplicity, or folly.” (Carleton, 260-261).

 We all took a weekend to describe what this phrase meant. To me, this defines the Irish as being coy, and left me the impression that the Irish would be deceitfully fake. There was an underlying theme that pointed out others to be the butt-end of their jokes and to yank on and make fun of these others in subtle and keen ways. Although this is an impressive feat for people that I initially thought were under-educated in comparison to others, the Irish culture blew my expectations away almost as soon as I landed.

The vast historical knowledge the Irish have predates the United States. Some of history is well known among Irishmen while other have different variations of stories (due to different upbringings and different perspectives from the past and present tensions of catholic and protestant.) An example I can think of that fits the above quote to the explanation of the formation of Giant’s Causeway. Science has explained this natural phenomena being formed by lava. A bus driver in Dublin had told our professor of how he would tell tourists that scientists were all wrong about this formation. He would proceed to tell visitors the tales of the legendary Fionn MacCool (FinnMcCool) as solely responsible and not the preposterous molten lava. Although he was kidding, he was persuasive and funny. 

Pictured is myself on Giant's Causeway

True Irishmen hold heart to the incredible history of their lands and that is what makes America different from Ireland. Here, in the states, people are so eager to conform to change. Everything and everyone are always moving so fast to update and pave new roads and paths without being conscious of what lies underneath. The Irish are a proud community that may fight as brothers and sisters at times (between the Republic and the North,) but their faith and voice carry themselves through even the most adverse moments. The “Fighting Irish” has only stood for Notre Dame to me, but after visiting Ireland I now understand the name.

Irish flag flying outside Kilmainham Gaol

A Trip to the Giant's Causeway

Due to their ability to transcend time, stories are invaluable tools of communication. The characters and places used within a story are bearers of cultural values and history, solidifying their place in the greater entity that is the society itself.

The Giant's Causeway

One such location is the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland, as its creation and lack of completion are key points in the story A Legend of Knockmany. While the scientific origins of the Giant’s Causeway involves volcanic lava, the legend places Fin M’Coul as the creator of the Causeway and tells that his work was interrupted due to the impending threat of the giant Cucullin.

A Legend of Knockmany manages to touch on both the history of the land and the mentality of its people. Though the story begins with Fin essentially leaving the job unfinished for fear of being killed by Cucullin, his triumph in the end leaves the impression that finishing the Causeway would be no trouble should he feel compelled to do so.

Fin’s triumph can be attributed to his own strength, but most of the praise goes to the quick wit of his wife Oonagh. In doing this the story establishes the strength of the Irish, their value on women in society, and a culturally significant landmark as facets of Irish culture that are worth remembering.

The importance of this story becomes even more apparent with the knowledge that Irish was originally only an oral language. There is a certain degree of showmanship present in repeatedly telling a story that is not solidified in a written format. While it is true that this repeated telling of the same story by multiple story tellers leaves room for variations in the story, it would seem that this variation is as important as the story itself.

The freedom that is present in oral storytelling is something that serves more to strengthen cultural identity rather than harm it. Each prospective storyteller is given the opportunity to alter the story in a way that they fell is more telling of the Irish culture and values, likely providing a more personalized and meaningful message for the listeners.

As a closing thought, I am curious to hear if anyone experienced a strong example of oral storytelling during our time in either Dublin or Derry? Personally I feel that our time with Gerry in the Guildhall would be a perfect example. Not only did he have the history memorized, but he presented it in a way that made the events feel alive and relevant even to this day.

It's Not All Leprechauns and Green Beer

Leprechaun

Like many people, when I thought of Ireland I thought of St. Patrick's Day, leprechauns, four leaf clovers and green beer. Much to my demise these Irish example are all false.

Throughout my course at IUSB - Everybody's Irish, I've learned some facts about what makes the Irish so special and it does not include leprechauns and green beer. Many of you may not realize that the country of Ireland was under the control of the British for 800 years before claiming their independence in 1921-1922. The people of this beloved country endured a massacre, battles, famine revolutions, rebellion, and discrimination laws known as Penal Laws. The country of Northern Ireland (6 most northern counties) remain under the control for the UK. 

Map Ireland and Northern Ireland 

According to readings I've read throughout this course, such as "Condy Cullen and the Gauger" and "A Legend of Knockmany" the Irish may be tricky, cunning and conniving folk. The readings I have mentioned are folk tales but seem to give a slight interpretation on how the people of Ireland are percieved. These two folk tales describe tricks and schemes the Irish people have pulled off in order to get the upper hand on an unwelcoming situation. Even though these tricks and schemes worked out for the Irish in the long run, what do you think would have happened if their conniving plans did not work out? Would they have tried to sweet talk their way out of the predicament or would they have retreated and confessed their wrong doing?

Although, these two readings could have been thought to depict hospitality. The sister of the giant Oonagh suggested inviting a stranger giant into her home for a snack before ever knowing the details on why her sister needed a distraction. It seemed like a natural thing for her to do. In the story of Condy Cullen, after the guager thinks he has out smarted and out witted Condy Cullen he invites him to have dinner with his wife and daughter. Though the circumstances in each situation were different the same evidence of hospitality was depicted. If you have read these two stories, which character trait do you think best represents the Irish? Hospitable or conniving?

*evidence from other readings and scholarly source welcome.